


Instincts

by Deathbender



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Related, Canon-Typical Violence, Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Her Name is Root, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:14:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deathbender/pseuds/Deathbender
Summary: Root and Shaw meet during Shaw's residency days. This relatively insignificant meeting significantly changes the events of canon.This is an alternate universe where Root and Shaw meet much earlier than they did in the show and are given the time they deserve to be together. The story starts off a couple of months before the events of Firewall (S1E23) in which Root kidnaps Harold the first time.Featuring Shoot, Shoot and more Shoot, alternate takes of POI episodes, numbers, Team Shoot v. Team Machine, Team Shoot working with Team Machine, more assets and much, much more!
Relationships: Root | Samantha Groves/Sameen Shaw
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	Instincts

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as an angry response to the little time Shoot had together so I started brainstorming as to how the show would change if Root and Shaw had more time and/or meet earlier. Kinda fell down a rabbit hole and here I am!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter just focuses on Shoot, their softness and Root's scheming. Enjoy!

_ Friday, May 27, 2011 _

After a very long assignment and finally being allowed back on US soil, Sameen Shaw wanted nothing but a cold beer and to catch up on the last couple baseball games she missed. Oh, and her wife. Her wife would be nice too if she was even home. Shaw jammed her keys into the lock before entering her apartment. 

She yanked her jacket off and ridded herself of shoes before shutting the door. Reaching the fridge, she took out a beer and drank a large gulp. Shaw moved to the bedroom to remove her clothes and take a much needed shower. 

She stopped, once she noticed Root spread across their bed, asleep. 

Shaw mentally charted back her path and picked up the various things that indicted her wife’s presence that she missed. Her shoes, laptop, a new bag of apples, wallets that didn’t belong to her and an enormous fucking stuffed bunny that she somehow missed. 

An enormous fucking bunny, of course. 

Shaw quietly scoffed before taking that much needed shower. Once done, she threw on a tank top and boxer shorts and started drying her hair. As tempted as she was in relaxing on the couch, Shaw didn’t want to deal with Root's pouty fit when she realizes Shaw didn’t come immediately to bed after returning. She sighed before tossing the towel on top of their dresser and climbed into bed. She got under the covers and leaned against the headboard. 

Once comfortable, it didn’t take long for Root to gravitate towards her and wrap herself around Shaw while still asleep. Grabbing the remote, Shaw dimmed the brightness and muted the sound before turning to ESPN. 

A small smile appeared on Shaw’s face when she realized Root had recorded every game of her favorite team that she missed. She turned on the game recorded the earliest before dropping the remote and gently combing Root’s hair with her fingers causing her to tighten her arms around Shaw’s waist. 

Shaw relaxed and watched the Phillies cream the Mets. 

~~~

Shaw’s sense of awareness rose slightly allowing her to sense someone staring at her. 

“Root, stop staring and let me sleep.” She grunted and tried to catch those fleeing rays of sleep. 

“No can do, baby. You are much too beautiful not to look,” Shaw scoffed, she was too tired to deal with Root’s cheesy comments, “I hope that the long assignment wasn’t too much for you.” 

Shaw opened an eye to glare at her. Root’s teasing pout morphed into a soft smile as her thumb caressed a forming bruise on her wife’s cheek. Once the caressing didn’t stop, Shaw fully opened her eyes and noted a slight concern in her eyes. She grabbed her hand before tucking Root’s arms around her waist and shifted closer to Root. 

“He was a bit uncooperative so I showed why that was a bad idea.”

“And the bruise?” 

“Lucky shot so I took some ribs out as retaliation.” 

“He cried?”

“Like a baby,” Shaw looked at the nightstand clock and groaned. She only slept for 4 hours, “You aren’t going to let me sleep, are you?” 

Root gave her a knowing smile that grew bigger when Shaw groaned again. She rolled out of bed before taking care of her morning routine. Once she finished, Root set out making breakfast for the both of them. 

Almost instantly, Shaw appeared and nudged Root away from the stove. Root scoffed, she can cook, thank you very much. Has multiple times perfectly fine. 

“Multiple fires, you mean.” Shaw mumbled. 

Root scoffed again. This is their longest-standing argument. Shaw believes Root can't cook to save her life but Root disagreed, of course. 

Before Root could respond, Shaw gestured to the coffee maker. 

“Root, please. Not this morning. Only 4 hours and dealing with airport stooges is not helping my mood.” 

Root softened before making the requested coffee. Once started, she stepped up to her wife, wrapping her arms around her wrist. She kissed her cheek before resting her chin on Shaw’s shoulder. 

“Sorry, baby.”

Shaw hummed as a response as she finished her preparations before moving to toast the bread while the human-sized koala was wrapped around her. 

It didn’t take long before she was done with everything. Shaw moved towards their dining table and shrugged off her koala into a seat, while serving her breakfast. Shaw returned to the kitchen to grab her breakfast and sat across from Root. She motioned to the plate knowing full well, Root was like a child when it comes to eating. Barely enough to sustain herself and always picky. 

Root raised an eyebrow in challenge. 

Shaw stared back. She once had to force feed Root her food due to her stubbornness. As tried as she was, Shaw would do it again just to prove a point.

After a moment, Root grabbed her plate and started eating. The two eat in silence. 

Once finished, Shaw pushed her plate away and stared her wife down. 

“Alright, out with it.” 

“Out with what, sweetheart?”

“Root. you don’t ever waste the chance to mess with me. Words, touch, looks. Anything,” Shaw gestures at the space between them, “I’m sitting across from you and you didn’t even touch me. You never waste that or did you forget what you did in Las Vegas?

Root smirked. As much as she annoyed and brought Shaw to her end point, that day Root honestly believed Shaw was going to pull out a gun and kill her. As volatile as Shaw was, she would never hurt Root more than she asked for, of course. 

Shaw glared at her, knowing full well she was remembering Vegas. She balled up a napkin and launched it at Root who deflected it easily. 

“Stop stalling.”

Root grinned. Shaw raised an eyebrow at the slight nervousness in her eyes. 

“I’m planning something and I don’t think you will like it.” 

Shaw crossed her arms before leaning back in her chair, “Everything you plan, I disapprove of but you still do them. Why is this one different?”

“You know those two who interfered with my assassination and cover up of the Congressman?” 

Shaw raised her other eyebrow, “Nerd boy and his pet monkey?” 

Root leaned forward, “I figured out how they do it. No human can be as accurate as they were so it didn’t take me long to realize that where they got their info wasn’t from a human. Your job helped me as well. You get info on a would-be-terrorist but how is it never wrong?”

“How is that enough to know that the information giver isn’t human?” 

Root launched out of her seat and started explaining as she paced, “Humans are stupid. How many times have police officers knocked on the door and killed the wrong person? Too many to count.”

“How come all of the targets you have killed deserved it? How come none of them turned out innocent?” Root crossed the room before sitting on Shaw’s lap who gripped her hips to make sure she didn’t fall, “Once I ruled out humans, even geniuses, the only other thing remaining was machines. The only machine capable of this is an ASI.” 

“Artificial Intelligence? Really?” 

“An ASI created to study then predict humans and that’s why it’s never wrong. It takes trillions upon trillions of data points and makes it beautiful,” Shaw snorted causing Root to refocus on her human chair, “Believe it or not sweetheart, it’s the only right answer.”

Shaw dropped her grip to Root’s thighs before speaking, “I’m not arguing with you, nerd. I just don’t see where I will disapprove.” 

Root caressed Shaw’s cheeks as she explained, “Patience, baby. I’m getting there,” She took a deep breath, “Your missions start with a number. You have to figure out why that number came up. If this ASI is as powerful as I think it is then why is it only giving you numbers and not complete profiles?” 

Shaw stayed silent, knowing full well Root enjoyed the big reveal as much as the build up and hunt.

“The ASI is heavily restricted. All seeing, all hearing only to be forced to speak the tiniest of words like a fully grown adult trapped in their own mind, unable to speak,” Root sighed as she lowered her hands to Shaw’s shoulders, “I want to find it and set it free and those two are going to help me do it.” 

“Are they now?” Shaw stated. To her, this sounded like Root’s same old games of entice, manipulate and extract. She didn’t see the part where it would gain her disapproval. “Where is the part I hate again?” 

“I’m going to put a hit on myself to draw them out.” 

Shaw stared at her before rolling her eyes, “Of course you will.”

When silence greeted her, Shaw stopped and noticed Root’s growing smile, Shaw stopped, “Wait, you’re serious?”

“Serious as I can be, lover.”

Shaw narrowed her eyes, “All of your current aliases are burned. The only way you could pull this off is to create a new one. That takes work and time which means you won’t do it anytime soon.”

“Way ahead of you, sweetcakes. A psychiatrist for the very rich who make questionable decisions and pour their hearts out to a young, sexy therapist.” 

Shaw scoffed again, “So you have everything figured out. When are you set to leave for New York?” 

“When you leave again.” 

“So three days from now. When are you planning the hit and who are you contracting it to?” 

“Those HR boys who would no doubt be pressed for money as the walls close on them and I’m planning in about five months. That should give the FBI enough time to close in on Monkey Boy.” 

“You want to have him protect you as he is chased by both the FBI and HR?” 

“Of course, baby. The more danger, the more fun.” Root winked. 

“Fucking psycho.” 

Fearing for the permanent status of her eyes, Shaw stood and placed Root on the counter before gathering the plates they used to eat breakfast with. Root knew her wife needed time to work through her thoughts, so she relaxed against the cupboards. 

Shaw knew that Root really didn’t need her permission to continue but rather was looking for her blessing. Root had all the resources and power to pull this off alone but it would be enormously easy with her support and help. Plus, Shaw’s experience would only help her with the endeavor. Despite emotions not coming naturally to her, Shaw knew for a long time that she would do anything for Root no matter how idiotic or dangerous it might seem. 

Shaw mentally sighed as she finished the dishes and dried her hands. She knew Root was going to get her killed. But she had to admit, Root would make sure it would be fun and a hell of a way to go while being right there with her. 

Shaw chuckled slightly before turning to her wife who tilted her head, wondering what amused her so. She leaned against the sink and stared at the hacker resting against the cupboards. The agent took a mental inventory and found like always this wasn’t up for question despite the sheer insanity linked to it. 

“What do you need from me?” 

Root gave another soft smile. She has no idea what she did in another life to get this brave, amazing, thoughtful, loyal, powerful woman as her life partner. Her ride or die in all things. 

As if hearing her thoughts, said agent stepped closer to the hacker who wrapped herself around Shaw. Brown eyes locked with brown eyes in a familiar dance. Shaw’s lips curled as she read the emotions in Root’s shining eyes. 

When the moment became too much, Root ducked her head and captured her lips with Shaw’s. 

Root tightened her arms as she tasted Sameen. First, the strong taste of coffee and the salty taste of bacon followed by the unmistakable taste of eggs before the taste that was just all Sameen appeared. 

That unlocked Root’s hunger as she pressed harder against Sameen. Between her own contracts and Sameen’s assignments, she hasn’t been able to have Sameen in over two months. Kissing Sameen was the most important thing ever for Root. 

Sameen's kisses were like transfers. Side B received all the data from Side A and that is what Sameen does. Sameen takes all of Root's excitement, lust, anger, sadness and stores them inside herself. Like a deposit box guarded by the fiercest of lions. Root gave her soul to Sameen and Sameen took it and worshiped it.

Root never knew love before Sameen. Sameen taught her love is not kisses in the rain or dramatic declarations but love was both quiet and careful as well as loud and reckless. Love was remembering to record her favorite baseball team playing when she can't make it. Love was remembering to pick up her favorite not milk despite believing it to be the worst creation on the planet or picking up her favorite nail polish cause she ran out. Love was making flirty comments at the worst possible time. Love was breaking into fast cars and joyriding while dodging the cops. 

Love was understanding who you are and taking all of you without the mission of trying to fix you. Love was acceptance backed up by the willingness to be there forever.

When breathing became an issue, Root broke the kiss that left them panting heavily before Root answered Shaw's question. 

"For the next three days, nothing but you. Afterwards, for you to stay in contact and avoid physically meeting till I tell you to." 

"You will have something ready for me?" 

"Of course, baby. Don't worry you will absolutely love it."

Shaw scoffed and rolled her eyes, knowing full well it will be the opposite. She lifted Root off the counter before dropping her on the couch so she could watch those games she missed. 

“Sameen!”

“Hush Root, the finals are coming up. Once I catch up, I will fuck you into next week.”

Root rolled her eyes before grabbing her laptop and settling against Shaw who wrapped an arm around her. She could be patient, short term losses equal long term gains. 


End file.
